Do you keep your loose powder at the very bottom of your makeup bag, not quite sure what to do with it? We feel you. Loose powder can be a bit confusing, but when used correctly, it can perfect your makeup, help it last longer, and give you a flawless face.

So if you’re losing your mind over loose powder, don’t panic – Savoir Flair’s got you covered. We tapped Emmanuelle Geoffrey, International Dior PRO Makeup Artist, to find out the best way to use the product and how to pick the perfect powder for you.

So what is loose powder exactly?Loose powder is a product that you use to ensure that your makeup is set.

How do I apply it?There are several ways to apply loose powder. You can use a big fluffy brush to dust on a fine layer of powder to set your makeup or perhaps to take away a little bit of shine. Another method is to use your blending sponge and to literally press and roll it onto the skin in areas where your skin produces more oil. This pressing and rolling motion is what really helps fix foundations. Use this method with mattifying powders, like the ‘Diorskin Forever & Ever Control Loose Powder’, as this method should be used for oily skin types. Once you use the blending sponge and press the powder into the skin, very lightly dust off the excess product after about thirty seconds.

Does it come in different colors? How do I pick the right shade?At Dior, we have three different types of loose powder. The ‘Capture Totale: Perfection & Youth Radiance Loose Powder’, which does not have any color and is a universal shade. The ‘Diorskin Forever & Ever Control Loose Powder’ is also a universal shade with no color. But we do have the ‘Diorskin Nude Air Loose Powder’, which comes in many different shades to identically match your foundation shade if that is your personal preference. You either want to go with the same color as your foundation or one shade lighter. If a woman has dry skin, I would suggest the ‘Capture Totale Loose Powder’ as a fine veil over the T-Zone.

What’s the biggest mistake women make when using loose powder?A mistake that a lot of women make is to just brush it on, forgetting to buff it into the skin. You need to buff the loose powder into the skin to avoid it being visible as it can sit on top of the little fine hairs. You buff the powder after you’ve applied it with the blending sponge, and this will really fix and set your makeup. It’s a little bit like what I call “at-home easy baking” because it’s hard to actually get baking right; it often doesn’t look natural or people use too much powder.

Another thing to remember is that loose powder is the same as pressed powder; it’s just a different format. Loose powders or pressed powders do not add coverage; they are not foundations. Many women avoid them because they think all powders are compact foundation powders, which is not the case.

Is loose powder only for women with oily skin, or should everyone use it?Loose powder is not necessarily just for women with oily skin. Any woman can use loose powder; it just depends on the result that she wants and what she wants to use the powder for. Does she want to use the powder to mattify? Does she want the powder to add extra radiance? Or does she want the powder to set and lightly mattify? This is why we have so many different loose powders! It all depends on what she wants to achieve.

Sometimes, I will even use two different powders. For instance, I use the ‘Diorskin Forever & Ever Control Loose Powder’ on the T-Zone with the blending sponge, pressing and rolling and then buffing, and afterwards I like to add what I call a “finishing touch” with the ‘Capture Totale Loose Powder’ with a big fluffy brush, just to give my foundation a satin finish. Again, it all depends on what the client is looking for as a final result.

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